Latest news with #LeviAshcroft
West Australian
4 days ago
- Sport
- West Australian
The Snitch: Brisbane Lions can not be serious with Rising Star whinge as Murphy Reid leapfrogs Levi Ashcroft
The Snitch: Brisbane Lions can not be serious with Rising Star whinge as Murphy Reid leapfrogs Levi Ashcroft
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bad news for Melbourne clubs as Dockers lock away star
Fremantle have moved quickly to lock away Murphy Reid, handing the AFL Rising Star contender a two-year contract extension that ties him to the club until the end of 2029. Reid announced himself as a star of the future when he kicked four goals in four minutes against Geelong during his AFL debut in round one. The 18-year-old has kicked 16 goals across 14 games this season, and is among the favourites to take out this year's Rising Star award, along with Brisbane's Levi Ashcroft and Essendon's Archie Roberts. Reid is from Victoria, and had only made one brief visit to Perth before being snared by Fremantle with pick No.17 in the 2024 national draft. The sunny Perth lifestyle and the rising optimism at Fremantle have killed off the chance for any Melbourne-based clubs to lure Reid home in the coming years. "I'm loving my time here in Perth,' Reid told AAP. "It's a lot more chill, and the lifestyle is great. The weather's nice, and I can still go down to the beach in winter. "Freo has been great for me. They've let me be myself and let me be confident. "ever since I got here, everyone has just wrapped their arms around me."Reid burst onto the scene in 2025 and we couldn't be happier to see him commit to our journey 🔒#foreverfreo — Fremantle Dockers (@freodockers) June 25, 2025 "I've had so many boys wrap their arms around me and taught me the ways." Reid's creativity has been a shining light in his debut season, with the teenager already one of the club's most potent players in setting up others for goals. "I guess I like to be a bit outside the box," Reid said. "It's sort of one of my points of differences, I guess." So how could a player of his calibre could slip all the way to pick No.17 in the draft? "It's not my question to answer," Reid said with a laugh. "But everything happens for a reason, and I couldn't be happier with the way it went." Reid grew up supporting Richmond, with the likes of Dustin Martin, Trent Cotchin and Jack Riewoldt among his idols. "I loved the way Dusty moved," Reid said. "I loved the way he could win a game for his club. He's one of the greats. "I loved Jack as well. I always had his number eight on my back, and I loved Cotchin as well. "And also Shai Bolton (who moved to Fremantle this year). It was weird playing with him at the start. Now he's a mate of mine." Fremantle are on a five-game winning streak, and will be aiming to continue their hot run when they host St Kilda at Optus Stadium on Sunday.
Sydney Morning Herald
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Should the Cats worry as the Lions flex their midfield muscle?
He didn't need to mention Levi Ashcroft had started on the bench and Jaspa Fletcher on a flank. If the Cats have the Bash Brothers in Holmes and Smith then the Lions can raise them with the Ashcroft Brothers, Will and Levi. Throw in Zac Bailey galloping through the middle and Darcy Wilmot and the veteran Dayne Zorko and the depth extends to all areas of the ground. Fagan was most impressed with Rayner, the No.1 pick who is delivering. After years of nearly being there is now a great player, his strength and confidence growing. He had five clearances and kicked three goals, two of them coming at the start of the third and fourth quarter to extinguish any hope the crowd might find voice. 'We have come to understand him and his strengths. It has taken us a little bit of time and how it all fits in with our system but in the last couple of years we have discovered that,' Fagan said. He led the way along with Will Ashcroft and Dunkley as Neale, a dual Brownlow medallist, was kept quiet by a gallant Tom Atkins who tried to lift his team. The question now is what Scott can plot to overcome the weight of numbers that is turning the tide the Lions way. The Cats remain in good shape and they are a strong chance to meet the Lions again in September. Geelong can point to poor kicking and an off-night and be right. But the biggest cat in the AFL jungle flexed their muscle on Friday night to take the Lions back into the top two. Fagan even admitted they have been at their best when facing the biggest of challenges this season. This was the last hoodoo of his reign. Beating Geelong at Geelong was something they had not managed since 2003. Loading The signs are good with more than half the season over. 'When we got to the bye last year we were 13th. When we get to the bye this year we're second,' Fagan said. 'I'm pretty pleased with where we are at, but it's a hard competition so you have to keep going, don't you.'
The Age
20-06-2025
- Sport
- The Age
Should the Cats worry as the Lions flex their midfield muscle?
He didn't need to mention Levi Ashcroft had started on the bench and Jaspa Fletcher on a flank. If the Cats have the Bash Brothers in Holmes and Smith then the Lions can raise them with the Ashcroft Brothers, Will and Levi. Throw in Zac Bailey galloping through the middle and Darcy Wilmot and the veteran Dayne Zorko and the depth extends to all areas of the ground. Fagan was most impressed with Rayner, the No.1 pick who is delivering. After years of nearly being there is now a great player, his strength and confidence growing. He had five clearances and kicked three goals, two of them coming at the start of the third and fourth quarter to extinguish any hope the crowd might find voice. 'We have come to understand him and his strengths. It has taken us a little bit of time and how it all fits in with our system but in the last couple of years we have discovered that,' Fagan said. He led the way along with Will Ashcroft and Dunkley as Neale, a dual Brownlow medallist, was kept quiet by a gallant Tom Atkins who tried to lift his team. The question now is what Scott can plot to overcome the weight of numbers that is turning the tide the Lions way. The Cats remain in good shape and they are a strong chance to meet the Lions again in September. Geelong can point to poor kicking and an off-night and be right. But the biggest cat in the AFL jungle flexed their muscle on Friday night to take the Lions back into the top two. Fagan even admitted they have been at their best when facing the biggest of challenges this season. This was the last hoodoo of his reign. Beating Geelong at Geelong was something they had not managed since 2003. Loading The signs are good with more than half the season over. 'When we got to the bye last year we were 13th. When we get to the bye this year we're second,' Fagan said. 'I'm pretty pleased with where we are at, but it's a hard competition so you have to keep going, don't you.'
ABC News
19-06-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Brisbane Lions attempt to win in Geelong for the first time since 2003
A 22-year winless run at a stadium is enough to make any team cower —but not the Brisbane Lions. The Lions have made a habit of breaking hoodoos under Chris Fagan — and they are determined to tick off the final item on their list. ABC Sport is live blogging every round of the AFL and NRL seasons in 2025. ABC Sport is live blogging every round of the AFL and NRL seasons in 2025. Brisbane has not won at Geelong's Kardinia Park since round six, 2003, with now-Cats coach Chris Scott kicking the match-sealing goal for the Lions that day. Will and Levi Ashcroft were not born yet, and since then, it has been 13 straight losses ahead of Friday night's blockbuster. "We've had a lot of those things over the years," Fagan said. "It's been 20-odd years since we've won here at this ground. The last couple of times we've played here, they've been close games. "So as we've become better as a team, we've been able to challenge Geelong a little bit more. "But it all starts again tomorrow night. We're obviously looking to break through that milestone and they'll obviously be trying as hard as they can to stop us." In recent seasons the Lions ended an 11-game losing streak at the MCG in 2022, snapped a 15-game run against Richmond in 2020 and an 11-game losing streak against Sydney in 2019. Under Fagan, Brisbane also ended poor runs against West Coast, Geelong and Adelaide. Fagan said the Lions "had a bit of fun" with their various hoodoos. "We've done that from the day I arrived at the club because we couldn't beat anyone," Fagan said. "It's true, we were struggling as a football club back then. "We just looked at various teams we hadn't beaten for a while and set ourselves to do that. I think that's a reasonable thing. It's all part of goal setting and striving. "And we've ticked off many things over the last few years, including that one about the MCG, we couldn't win there. So that's all part of being competitive." The Lions (9-4), who have lost two on the bounce, travelled to Victoria a day early, on Wednesday, and were relieved they had made that choice after dealing with multiple delays. Fagan believed low pressure numbers against GWS were an "outlier" but poor goal kicking had been an issue in that game and against Adelaide. "That's the one glaring thing at the moment that's hurt us in the last couple of weeks," he said. Star small forward Charlie Cameron has kicked 12.14 and just one goal in the past month. Fagan insisted Cameron's contributions elsewhere had been important. "It's been up and down from a goal kicking sense but we'll back him in," he said. The reigning premiers will also be "patient" with Kai Lohmann, who has had a similarly up-and-down year. Fagan confirmed veteran defender Darcy Gardiner will come in to replace Jack Payne (knee). AAP
